Check Yes or No
by sunflowerb
Summary: Deer kairi who do yoo like betur me or riku chek yes or no' The problem, besides the spelling, was that it wasn't a yes or no question.  Kairi wasn't quite sure how to answer...preKH.postKH2...sokai fluff.oneshot


A/N: This little (well, not little. It's over 2000 words) oneshot has been floating around in my brain for a long time. But I have put off writing it until I had figured out more of what was going to happen. The idea struck me, one day, after hearing someone make a joke about the 'i like you, do you like me, check yes or no' thing that little kids will do, that Sora seems like the kind of doofus who'd say "check yes or no" to something that wasn't a yes or no question. I'm quite proud of this one. In the words of my pre-cal teacher, sokai pwns all. seriously, one day he was like "you guys pwned this math question" he's not super old, he's only like, 35. but he's such a weird math dork (i like math, but he really is just super math dorky) that it just sounded soo weird. (he wondered if you could get a logarithm put on a license plate)

Starts out as Pre-KH, changes to Post-KH2.

Disclaimer: sigh

_Check Yes or No_

The redhead was getting angry.

It was never a good thing for the redhead to be angry.

Since she was getting angry, everyone was making sure to steer clear of her.

Including, you see, the two people who were making her angry.

By steering clear of her.

They said they'd meet at the swing set. Well, recess started five whole minutes ago, and she'd yet to see either of them. Stupid boys. Those dumb bunnies probably forgot. Maybe they were being mean.

The tiny redhead frowned at her purple sandals as she swung back and forth. Why did she hang out with boys? They could be so stupid sometimes. They would beat the living daylights out of each other one minute, then they'd be the best of friends the next. They found being mean to each other fun.

The redhead was getting worried. What if they decided they didn't want to be her friend anymore? They were the only real friends she had. They were the only boys she knew who didn't have cooties. She was kind of friends with Selphie, but that girl talked too much, Kairi wasn't sure she could handle being close friends with that girl.

Just as she started to sniffle, Kairi heard her name being called. She looked up from her sandals to see Tidus standing beside the swing set.

"Hi," she said, continuing her swinging.

"Hi," he replied. She noticed he was holding a piece of paper in his hands. He held it up.

"This is for you. Sora told me to give it to you." Her tiny feet dug into the ground; her swing was halted with superhuman speed.

"Where is he?" the miniscule princess demanded. Tidus detected the anger in her voice and gulped.

Taking a step back, he answered, "I dunno, he just told me to give this to you, and then he ran off and hid. He didn't want you to find him until I gave this to you." He handed her the note.

Kairi snatched the wrinkled notebook paper from his hand. His message delivered, Tidus had the sense the scram lest the note displease her majesty and she be tempted to unleash her fury on him.

Kairi unfolded the note and straightened the paper out a bit before reading it.

"**Deer Kairi**

**Who do yoo like betur me or Riku? Chek yes or no.**

**Yes**

**No**

**Aftur yoo reed this, putt it in my desk.**

**Frum Sora**

**PS Riku smels bad he looks like a girl yoo shood pik me.**"

The problem, other than the horrendous spelling and grammar, was that this wasn't a yes or no question.

Kairi puzzled over this for the rest of recess. Fortunately for her friends, in her confusion she quite forgot about her anger at them for deserting her.

Kairi knew very well who she liked better. She liked Sora better. She knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. She wasn't entirely sure _why_. He jumped off of things and beat stuff up and ate bugs and mud just like any other boy. And yet, he wasn't like any other boy. If ever she needed him he would deviate from his busy schedule of seeing who could eat the most worms and rush to her aide. She had seen him squeeze a grasshopper to death, and yet he could, and would, give her the softest, nicest hugs. Riku just teased her. It was a friendly sort of teasing, and Sora did it too, sometimes, but still, she knew she liked Sora better.

But how was she supposed to tell him that? She couldn't answer yes, because while Sora was so impulsive that he might take that to mean that yes, she liked him better; he might also think it meant that yes, she liked Riku better. But she couldn't answer no, because that would cause the same dilemma. Why couldn't her friends just learn how to ask a question?

The other problem was that she didn't know what he meant by "like." Sure, she liked both her friends, but Sora was her bestest friend forever. Riku was just her best friend. She could tell Sora that. But what if he meant "like" as in, "like-like." She liked him, but she didn't like-like him. No way, nu-uh! I mean come on! How gross! Like-liking someone was what big kids did. Like the fifth graders.

But not a kindergartener. Everyone always said she'd marry Sora someday. She thought that was ridiculous. Sora was her bestest friend. She couldn't marry her bestest friend. That'd just be gross and weird and-

But what if Sora didn't think it was so ridiculous?

What if he, dare she even think it, like-liked her? And that was why he was asking. It wasn't until the bell rang to signal the end of recess that she finally determined what to do. She wasn't going to fret over this just because her friend couldn't put together a decent question.

The little girl hopped off her swing. With her jaw set and her note clutched in one of her tiny balled fists, she headed for the door.

a s k m e n o **q u e s t i o n s**

The teacher stood in front of the room telling everyone to hurry to their seats, and for once, Sora eagerly obeyed her.

He rushed to his desk to see if Kairi had replied to his message yet. He saw her sitting in her desk across the room, reading her favorite book about Gisele the Balloon. For once he was thankful the teacher had separated them. He reached inside his desk and was both relieved and terrified to find the note.

He carefully and slowly unfolded it, steeling himself for the worst.

He was surprised by her answer. She hadn't circled anything. However, along the bottom of the note, in her neat, curly handwriting she had written one sentence.

a n d i ' l l t e l l y o u n o **l i e s**

"_Hey Sora, learn to spell_."

* * *

t i m e p a s s e s **q u i c k l y**

The redhead was getting angry again.

This was the lazy bum she was talking about, so she expected him to take forever, just not this much of a forever.

Kairi sighed. She tilted her gaze down from the brilliant sunset to frown at her purple sneakers. Her shoelaces were getting a little worn out, she thought. She'd have to get some new ones. She drummed her fingers on the trunk of the paopu tree.

"What's taking you so long?" she whispered; more to herself than anyone else, since the person in question was obviously not around.

Several minutes later she heard something stir softly behind her. She smiled. She didn't bother to look up as she spoke.

"You're late."

She smiled again as she heard an exasperated huff from behind her. He hadn't been trying, she knew. He was the Keyblade Master. If he'd _wanted _to sneak up on her, he certainly could have.

"No I'm not." He rebutted, taking a seat beside her on the warped trunk.

"Are too," she replied, looking up at the horizon, but still determinedly not facing him. "I told you to meet me here at sunset."

Sora looked from the sky, then back to his companion. Rolling his eyes, he answered, "Kairi, it _is _sunset."

Kairi turned to look at him. "I told you to meet me here at sunset. That meant when sunset _began_. The sun's been setting for twenty minutes." She explained matter-of-factly.

Sora stared at her incredulously. "Kairi, you said, and I quote, 'Sora, meet me by the paopu tree at sunset.' End of sentence, end of story. How was I supposed to know what you meant?"

Kairi huffed. "Sora, the sunset lasts a while. Why would I tell you to come at sunset if I meant for you to wait until nightfall, huh? It's like telling someone to show up at 8 o'clock, and they don't show until 8:30. I tell you to come at sunset, I mean for you to be here when twilight begins. End of sentence, end of story, do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars." And for added emphasis, she crossed her arms, narrowed her eyes, and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout she knew he daren't argue with.

Sora sighed and broke eye contact. Kairi smirked. She'd won.

Several minutes passed as they watched the sunset. Finally, after sufficiently recovering from his loss, Sora spoke up.

"Hey, sorry."

"It's no big deal."

More silence.

"Hey, I think I've got something to make it up to you." Kairi turned her attention to him as he began digging through his various pockets.

"My mom made me clean out my closet yesterday for the first time in like, ten years. Anyway, in some box or other, I found this." He finally managed to locate whatever it was he was looking for and pulled it out of his pocket.

Kairi frowned. It was just a crumply, torn, wrinkled sheet of notebook paper. And yet…

It looked…familiar.

Sora smiled and handed it to her.

She unfolded it and glanced it over. Kairi immediately burst out laughing.

"I'd completely forgotten about this!" she exclaimed, as she tried to smooth the paper out.

She cleared her throat and began to read.

" 'Dear Kairi' you misspelled dear, 'Who do you like' what's that word? Better? 'better, me or Riku?' You misspelled, well, everything." She started giggling again. "And here's my favorite part. 'Check yes or no.'"

Sora smiled bashfully at her. Kairi beamed at him. "That wasn't a yes or no question."

Sora nodded. "I'm aware of that now."

"But you weren't then."

"Clearly not."

Kairi started laughing again. "You were a horrible speller. You misspelled, one, two, three…thirteen words!" She read further down the paper. "And look at this! This nice, neat, perfectly spelled, with proper grammar and punctuation; this most certainly can't be your handwriting. 'Hey Sora, learn to spell.' And to my knowledge, you never have."

Sora gave her a look of mock-injury. He placed a hand over his heart. "Why, my dear Kairi, you've wounded me so."

Kairi laughed. The sound brought a smile back to Sora's face.

"Let's face it," she said, shaking her head at the note, "You just couldn't write."

"I wasn't _that _bad." Sora replied, crossing his arms.

"Sora, you couldn't put together a decent yes or no question."

"I was in kindergarten. I could barely read. I thought Q was a vowel. Gimme a break."

"You don't have to know your vowels to put together a yes or no question."

"That was like, ten years ago. I can put one together now."

"Oh, really? Prove it?"

"Fine, I will."

Ending their playful debate, Sora picked up a long thin stick lying on the ground beside the tree and began writing a message in the sand.

Kairi's smiled turned to a look of surprise as she read was he had written.

"**My dear belloved Kairi,**

**I love you. Do you love me too? Check yes or no.**

**Yes**

**No**

**Love, Sora**

**P.S. Riku still looks like a girl from a distince. And he still smells wierd**."

Having finished his message, Sora fiddled with the stick he'd used to write his confession. He wouldn't look at Kairi, instead opting to contemplate his shoes. His blush was only partially disguised by the setting of the sun.

Kairi blinked. She had to be dreaming. That year away from home had done Sora good, she decided. He never used to be this bold.

"Sora," she said softly, turning from the message to look at him. He continued to stare at his shoes. "look at me."

He did so slowly, first raising his head up, and then ever so slowly bringing his gaze up to meet hers. Few times in her life had Kairi ever seen him look so shy.

"Do you mean that?" Of course he meant it, and Kairi knew this. She was just amazed he'd finally gotten the courage to say it. Sora nodded and dropped his gaze.

Had he not done this, he might have noticed how close Kairi was getting to him before she kissed him.

It was a small, simple kiss; a small peck on the lips that nonetheless sent chills down his spine. It was a split-second euphoria that seemed to last an eternity, and it left him craving more the minute Kairi pulled the softness of her lips away from his.

Sora blinked. He often had trouble thinking whenever Kairi was involved, but now his brain seemed to be having immense difficulty in processing what had just happened, and what was supposed to happen now.

Kairi was smiling at him, and he noticed her cheeks were a little pink. He fervently hoped that the warmth he felt on his face was from the summer heat, not because he was blushing.

He blinked again. His brain was starting to function again, and it was yelling at him for pouring his heart out and then acting like a total idiot after the girl kissed him.

Finally regaining his powers of speech, he swallowed hard and pulled his trembling lips into a smile.

"So, I guess that's a yes?"

b u t i f y o u a s k m e n o **q u e s t i o n s**

Kairi smiled even wider. She took the stick out of his shaking hand and in her neat, curly handwriting, scratched her reply into the sand.

y o u ' l l n e v e r k n o w t h e **t r u t h**

"_Hey Sora, you still can't spell_."

FINI

a/n: that was looooooong. not as long as Luck, but longer than Kill Me Now. Sokai rocks. I threw in some of those artsy whatchamacallsem's cuz they are artsy and fun and when you practically major in art (two art classes, one of them being a SENIOR art class whereas i'm a junior) you like all things artsy. they just seemed to fit.

Review, but remember, I'm not quite what you'd call literate in chatspeak, so please don't use it in your reviews, because i really hate it when I get a review and I can't understand what you are saying.


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